Eggs from Different Species

Goose, Duck and a Chicken Egg

Comparative Sizes of Eggs. From Largest to Smallest: Goose – Duck – Chicken

There are many different species of poultry and the eggs from different species all have their own sizes, weight, development, and nutritional differences.

Chickens, Ducks & Quail Eggs

Commercially there are three species of poultry eggs commonly available: hens, ducks and quail.

Chicken Eggs

Chicken eggs are by far the most popular. Duck eggs being more likely to be found in independent shops and market stalls than in the supermarket. Quail eggs are often found in delicatessens, being considered a delicacy.

Duck Eggs

Duck eggs do have a slightly stronger taste than hens eggs and a different consistency to the white. They are slightly chewy – being the best description. They make for a really rich scrambled egg and are wonderful for baking.

Quail Eggs

Quail eggs are very small and really quite bland tasting. Most often they’re served or used in dishes having been hard-boiled. Peeling them can be very time consuming. If you boil in a mixture of half and half vinegar and water will make peeling easier.

Commercial Egg Production

The reason that commercial egg production for eating is limited to those three species is simple economics. They are the species that have breeds that lay prolifically. Under 200 eggs a year it becomes near impossible to produce an egg people will actually pay a price for that covers the costs of production. The cost of looking after a bird is more or less the same whether it lays 50 or 300 eggs a year.

Geese & Turkey Eggs

It may well be possible with selective breeding to increase the number of eggs laid by geese and turkeys but there just isn’t the market there to justify the effort.

Goose eggs are delicious, quite large and mostly white. Sadly you’ll be lucky to see 30 eggs a year per bird. Turkeys produce slightly more eggs than geese, up to 70 a year with a breed like the Norfolk Black, but once again not enough to be commercially viable.

Further Articles All About Eggs


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